Kukla's Korner Hockey

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun had a one-on-one interview with Ottawa GM John Muckler. One answer from Muckler seems to repeating itself throughout many of the NHL teams...

SUN: Do you think you still have enough elite players that you're going to be a good team.
MUCKLER: Yes, but the trick is how are you going to be able to keep these guys beyond this year? I would just like to see the message sent for the general public to understand what is happening: I don't think people understand that cap system dictates change and trades are going to be done in a different manner now. You are not going to see teams receive the compensation that you think they should receive. Sometimes you're not going to trade players because you want to trade players, it's because you have to trade players because you can't afford (their contract) and you have to remove that from your payroll. All those things are going to happen and at the same time you want to keep the best players you can.